The Present Application relates generally to terminals loaded in connectors, and, more particularly, to terminals loaded in connectors in which the oblique portion of the terminals are moved, while making point contact so that the oblique portions of the terminals cross each other.
Conventional connectors can be used, for example, to connect a plurality of wires together electrically, to connect a wire (or wires) to a circuit board and to connect a plurality of circuit boards together electrically. When conventional connectors, having a plurality of terminals, are mated, the terminals make contact and are electrified. In order to maintain good contact and a good electrical connection between terminals, the surface of one of the terminals may be recessed, and this recess engages the other terminal to keep the terminals from separating. An example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-270085.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of terminals in a conventional connector making contact with each other. In FIG. 11, the first terminal 861 is loaded in the housing 811 of the first connector mounted on a first circuit board, and the second terminal 961 is loaded in the housing 911 of the second connector mounted on a second circuit board. The first terminal 861 is equipped with a tail 862 soldered to a connection pad on the first circuit board, and a first contact portion 865 and a second contact portion 866 making contact with the second terminal 961 in the second connector. Similarly, the second terminal 961 is equipped with a tail 962 soldered to a connection pad on the second circuit board, and a first contact portion 965 and a second contact portion 966 making contact with the first terminal 861 in the first connector. As shown in FIG. 11, when the first connector and the second connector mate, the first contact portion 865 in the first terminal 861 and the first contact portion 965 in the second terminal 961 make contact with each other, and the second contact portion 866 in the first terminal 861 and the second contact portion 966 in the second terminal 961 make contact with each other. In this way, an electrical connection is established between the first terminal 861 and the second terminal 961.
A tiered portion is formed in the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961, and the protrusion formed in the second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 engages this tiered portion. The second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 and the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961 function as a locking mechanism, and the first connector and the second connector are reliably mated when the first terminal 861 and the second terminal 861 are locked. When the protrusion formed in the second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 engages the tiered portion formed in the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961, the protrusion formed in the second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 makes a clicking sound when it falls into the recess formed near the tiered portion in the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961. This lets the operator know that the mating of the first connector and the second connector is complete.
However, in conventional terminals, when the protrusion formed in the second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 falls into the recess formed near the tiered portion in the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961, the distance along which the surface of the protrusion rubs against the surface of the recess is very short. As a result, the wiping effect is low and foreign matter adhering to the surface of the recess cannot be effectively removed.
Further, the first terminal 861 and the second terminal 961 are so-called bellows contacts. A rolled metal plate is punched out to obtain a comb-shaped member, consisting of a number of slender bands connected to a carrier plate. The bands are then pressed and bent in the thickness direction of the plate to form a bellows shape, and the bands are separated from the carrier plate. Because the widthwise dimensions (perpendicular to the surface of the figure) are larger than the thickness dimensions in the first terminal 861 and the second terminal 961, the surface of the protrusion formed in the second contact portion 866 of the first terminal 861 and the surface of the recess formed near the tiered portion in the second contact portion 966 of the second terminal 961 are both smooth and wide. Nevertheless, the contact pressure per unit area is small. As a result, adequate wiping cannot be obtained, and foreign matter cannot be effectively removed.